By Alex Yomah
Health experts have alarmed and are troubled about a health statistics that puts Rivercess County atop with 40% stunting rate in Liberia.
Experts defined stunting as the ‘deteriorate growth and development that children experienced from among others poor nutrition, repeated infection and inadequate psychosocial stimulation.’
According to experts, a child is defined as ‘stunted’ if their height for age is more than standards deviation below median; which is on the increase in Rivercess County.
According to the report, unlike Montserrado County with 20% stunting rate, the rest of the Liberia’s 14 counties especially rural Liberia account for the high and alarming rate of stunting to include: Grand Bassa 34.7%, Margibi, 33.3%,Lofa 35.6%, Maryland 36.3% and Grand Cape Mount 32.5% respectively.
“The situation which is said to be alarming and worrisome should be taken as a national crisis by duty bearers,” the health statistics stated.
Currently, there is this Code of marketing of breast-milk Substitutes (CMBS) bill ready passed by the House of Representatives in 2022 but is now at the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
According to health experts, adequate breastfeeding is one of the ways to help reduce the alarming rate of stunting across rural Liberia.
As of 2019, Liberia passed the World Health Organizations threshold of 50% breastfeeding to 55% however; there still exist visible and huge challenges confronting the sector.
The bill before the Liberian Senate, health officials say is among other things meant to help to regulate the sector and to stop the follow or promotion of infant’s formula: “We are not stopping the importation but to stop the aggressive promotion of infants formula,” the health experts stated.
